updated 10:55 pm EST, Wed December 14, 2011

Notebooks arrive behind schedule

Lenovo has finally begun taking pre-orders for its IdeaPad U300s ultrabook, which was initially expected to arrive in the US several months ago. The 13-inch MacBook Air rival features a 0.6-inch thick housing constructed from aluminum, with a breathable keyboard that takes advantage of Intel's laminar cooling technology.

The notebook integrates a 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 processor and integrated graphics, while the 13.3-inch display offers 1366x768 resolution. Other hardware features include a USB 3.0 port, HDMI output, and a 256GB solid-state drive that is claimed to bring the boot time down to 10.5 seconds.

The four-cell battery is claimed to reach six hours of run time, though the quick-charge design is said to reach half capacity within 30 minutes.

The U300s is currently available directly from Lenovo for $1499, up from the original estimate of $1195.